80 pct of Turkish youth hide social media from parents, study shows

ANKARA

A sweeping new study by Türkiye’s media regulator has revealed that around 80 percent of young people operate at least one social media account unknown to their families, raising serious concerns over parental supervision, online safety and digital exploitation.

“While 90 percent of young people have social media accounts, 82 percent also maintain at least one account their families do not know about. Parental supervision operates only on visible accounts — young people continue online through the hidden ones,” the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) Vice President Deniz Güler told a parliamentary commission in Türkiye examining children pushed into crime.

The findings come from a nationwide survey conducted by the media watchdog across 26 of the country’a 81 provinces, covering 7,500 young people aged 15 to 21.

According to the research, traditional TV is facing a dramatic collapse among youth.

Average daily TV time among youth fell from 2 hours 51 minutes in 2018 to 1 hour 40 minutes in 2022 and to less than 40 minutes by 2025.

By contrast, 90 percent of respondents use social media, spending around 3.5 hours per day.

Six in ten reported paid subscriptions to digital platforms.

Despite their heavy use, young people themselves favor regulation.

Eighty-eight percent said social media should have a legal age limit, with the average suggested minimum age being 16.

Meanwhile, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) Vice President Abdulkerim Gün warned of widespread sexualized content online.

“Virtually all video-based applications have turned into OnlyFans-like platforms. Over 30 such apps have already been blocked,” Gün explained.

According to BTK, the majority of online complaints involve child sexual abuse material, illegal betting and gambling.

During the presentation, RTÜK also announced plans to deploy artificial intelligence systems to detect real-time violence in live daytime TV shows — programs frequently criticized for graphic and sensational content.